Featured sterling ear wires with glass? stone? beads

I don't know what possessed me to say yes when my daughter asked me to sell some of her unwanted jewelry. The "good stuff" isn't a problem - THAT I recognize! It's the rest of it that's giving me fits. I have figured out some of it, but for the most part, I'm clueless.

Here is yet another pair of her earrings. The wires are marked 925 and nothing else, and there are no other marks anywhere.

The round beads are cool to the touch, but it's been so hot around here that I don't know if that signifies much of anything. Held to the light, a couple of the beads show small (almost foggy) somewhat thready irregularities inside, but most of them just show a shadow of the wire that passes thru them.

The color is a very pale, sort of milky green.



Does anyone have any ideas what these are?

Believe me, I am SO grateful for every bit of help you all provide!

Thank you!

 

Could be prehnite.

 

SBSVC, I can feel your pain. I (almost) never sell items for other people. For whatever reason, it always turns into an unexpected PIA. However, when it's your own daughter... Nice of you to help.

The "925" on the earwire is not necessarily indicative of overall quality which might seem counter-intuitive, but these 925 earwires are not terribly expensive and are frequently seen.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/20pc-Sterl...NkAAOxyffZSVYjK:sc:USPSFirstClass!80305!US!-1

Guessing these earrings may have been from a craft show or gift shop. The metal spacers look kind of generic. If these were some kind of special (say, rare jade, etc. or super high end craft pieces) I would not expect common findings. These are just observations from the photos.

They are a pretty set, very wearable.

Maybe others will chime in.

 

Thanks, Bronwen & Lucille!

Bronwen, I had never heard of prehnite, so I looked it up! I have to agree - it could be!

Lucille, I've never sold for anyone else EXCEPT family - and oh, boy, it's ALWAYS a pain! I sometimes sell things for my sister (yes, the one with the shopping addiction) - but that only happens when I'm actually in her house and can convince her to part with something "for her own good". She never wants to let anything go!

Anyway, since DD KNOWS I sell stuff sometimes for her aunt, I'd be hard pressed not to "help her out" too.

I have to agree that the earrings shown here probably DID come from a crafts show, and I know they won't sell for much of anything, but that's the way it goes.

You should see some of the other "handmade" stuff in the stash! A former co-worker of my daughter's used to make it and gave her a few pieces as gifts. My personal opinion is that the lady really wasn't very talented, but she seemed to think she was! She claimed that she sold lots of it in little gift shops & the like in the Berkshires, but I have my doubts!

Thanks for your help!

 

I agree with the others. Pretty earrings, the stones are real, the sterling probably too, but something anyone could put together with the usual craft stuff in 5 minutes.

I am often surprised at the simple home made jewellery that is sold in overpriced gift shops. No imagination, all made with run of the mill findings and beads, but with a fancy card, handmade by...., sometimes with a quote from a poem or something cute like that.

 

Agree with Lucille. They look hand made by a home crafts person using elements readily available from any beading supply store or catalogue. Other than the 925 wires, the other silver bits look like what is generically called Bali silver (pace AJ) & I have always assumed it is approx. 800. They are very inexpensive & these mostly use very small ones. 98% certain the beads are prehnite. Would think that at most the materials cost $15, probably less if mail order.

 

The spacers could be 925 too, I have similar ones for repairs and they tested as 925.

 

Well, even if those spacers ARE 925, I'm sure it won't add much to the value of this pair!

I can't thank you ladies enough for all your input on my low-end, non-antique items! I'm actually a bit embarrassed to post them here, but I don't know where else I could go for such open, honest & agreeable advice!

So as not to take up yet another "slot" on the forum with more of DD's cast-off jewelry, I'm just going to add photos here of a couple of the fore-mentioned co-worker's handmade gifts. I don't need ID help with them or anything like that - I just wanted you all to see them. Oddly, neither piece is symmetrical - the neck chain is about 2" longer on one side than on the other, and the bracelet is just - well - you can see:






As always, thanks for being here!

 

Yikes! Not sure which is more lacking: skill or taste. There's a reason she gave them away.

I never did wire work like this, but if something knotted on silk or strung on monofilament came out wonky, I took it apart & started over, redesigned if necessary. One of the things I loved about beading was the possibility of infinite do-overs.

 

Bronwen, you made me laugh! Yes, indeed...

Of course, these are samples of what the woman claimed to sell in gift shops!

 

I am speechless.